The Emirate Airlines on Thursday suspended all flight to Nigeria over $85 million trapped fund.
The suspension takes effect from September 1, 2022, the airline said in a statement on Thursday.
Earlier, the airline has threatened to slash its flights to Nigeria from 11 to seven by mid August over its trapped fund in a leaked letter up aviation minister.
Foreign airlines trapped funds have hit over $600 million due to Central Bank of Nigeria‘s inability to meet the airlines’ request for dollars.
The Emirates statement read: “Emirates has tried every avenue to address our ongoing challenges in repatriating funds from Nigeria, and we have made considerable efforts to initiate dialogue with the relevant authorities for their urgent intervention to help find a viable solution.
“Regrettably there has been no progress. Therefore, Emirates has taken the difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective 1 September 2022, to limit further losses and impact on our operational costs that continue to accumulate in the market.
“We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our customers, however the circumstances are beyond our control at this stage. We will be working to help impacted customers make alternative travel arrangements wherever possible.
“Should there be any positive developments in the coming days regarding Emirates’ blocked funds in Nigeria, we will of course re-evaluate our decision. We remain keen to serve Nigeria, and our operations provide much needed connectivity for Nigerian travellers, providing access to trade and tourism opportunities to Dubai, and to our broader network of over 130 destinations.”
